Modern Sauces: More than 150 Recipes for Every Cook, Every Day

This is the book for cooks who want to take their cooking to a whole new level. Martha Holmberg was trained at La Varenne and is an award-winning food writer. Her look at this sometimes-intimidating genre—expressed in clear, short bites of information and through dozens of process photographs—delivers the skill of great sauce-making to every kind of cook, from beginners to those more accomplished who wish to expand their repertoire. More than 100 recipes for sauces range from standards such as béarnaise, hollandaise, and marinara to modern riffs such as maple-rum sabayon, caramelized onion coulis, and coconut-curry spiked chocolate sauce. An additional 55 recipes use the sauces to their greatest advantage, beautifying pasta, complementing meat or fish, or elevating a cake to brilliant. Modern Sauces is both an inspiration and a timeless reference on kitchen technique.

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MODERN SAUCES
more than 150 recipes for every cook, everyday
MARTHA HOLMERG
photographs by ELLEN SILVERMAN
[image: MODERN SAUCES more than 150 recipes for every cook, everyday MARTHA HOLMBERG photographs by ELLEN SILVERMAN]
Contents
Getting Started
Sauce Essentials
Vinaigrettes
Classic Sherry Vinaigrette
Double-Mustard Vinaigrette
Caesar-Style Vinaigrette
Mellow Garlic-Basil Vinaigrette
Spicy Ginger-Lime-Garlic Vinaigrette
Tomato-Ginger Vinaigrette
Raspberry-Thyme Vinaigrette
Fresh Orange–Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
Tangerine–Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Toasted-Almond Vinaigrette
Creamy Anchovy-Caper Vinaigrette
Warm Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette
Apple And Fennel Salad With Candied Walnuts And Double-Mustard Vinaigrette
Orange Salad With Fresh Orange–Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette, Iced Onions, And Cilantro
Salmon Fillets On Creamy Mashed Potatoes And Turnips With Tangerine–Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Ceasar-Style Hearts Of Romaine Salad With Grilled Parmigiano-Reggiano Croutons And Lemon
Smashed New Potato Salad With Warm Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette And Scallions
Herb Sauces
A Great Basic Pesto
A Very French Pesto
Spicy Cilantro–Marcona Almond Pesto
Parsley-Mint Pesto With Walnuts And Feta
Sauce Vierge
Fragrant Charmoula
Chimichurri, In Spirit
Crespelle With Pesto, Ricotta, And Arugula Salad
Bean Soup With Spicy Cilantro–Marcona Almond Pesto
Roasted Cauliflower With Sauce Vierge
Couscous With Braised Vegetables In Charmoula
Tomato Sauces
Flash-Sautéed Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
Good And Versatile Marinara Sauce
Bold And Spicy Tomato Sauce
Very Mushroomy Porcini Tomato Sauce
Very Meaty Tomato Sauce
Lamb And Fragrant Spices Sauce
Rich Roasted-Tomato Sauce
Angel Hair Pasta With Flash-Sautéed Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce, Tuna, And Green Olives
Eggs Poached In Bold And Spicy Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Toasts And Pecorino
Chicken And Peppers Braised In Very Mushroomy Porcini Tomato Sauce
Comforting Risotto With Very Meaty Tomato Sauce
Vegetable, ; Chile, And Nut Sauces
Caramelized Onion Coulis
Smoky Red Pepper Coulis
Romesco Sauce
Creamy Walnut Sauce
Asian Peanut Sauce
Garlicky Potato Sauce
Butternut Squash And Apple Cider Sauce
Fruity And Spicy Dried Red Chile Sauce
Roasted Green Chile And Tomatillo Sauce With Avocado
Fresh Chile And Summer Tomato Salsa
Grilled Eggplant Antipasto With Creamy Walnut Sauce, Tomato, And Feta
Goat Cheese And Leek Tart With Butternut Squash Sauce
Potato Omelet With Roasted Green Chile And Tomatillo Sauce With Avocado
Simple And Delicious Enchiladas
Butter Sauces
Beurre Fondu (Melted Butter)
Classic Beurre Blanc (White Butter Sauce)
Balsamic Beurre Rouge (Balsamic–Red Wine Butter Sauce)
Creamy, Lemony Butter Sauce
Lemon-Caper Butter Sauce
Jalapeño-Lime-Ginger Butter Sauce
Grapefruit-Coriander Butter Sauce
Orange-Rosemary Balsamic Butter Sauce
Apple Cider–Chile Butter Sauce
Savory Tomato–Red Wine Butter Sauce
Soy-Ginger Butter Sauce
Anchovy Butter Sauce
Potato-Topped Halibut Fillet With Balsamic Beurre Rouge
Coconut-Sesame Chicken Breasts With Jalapeño-Lime-Ginger Butter Sauce
Pork Tenderloin Medallions With Wilted Spinach And Orange-Rosemary Balsamic Butter Sauce
Brussels Sprouts With Toasted Walnuts And Apple Cider–Chile Butter Sauce
Cream Sauces
Actually Tasty Béchamel Sauce
Almost Creamless Creamy Velouté sauce
Sharp Cheddar Sauce
Light, Lemony Cream Sauce
Dijon-Cognac Cream Sauce
Spicy Saffron–Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Cheater’s Carbonara Sauce
Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce
Perfect Cheese Soufflé
Classic Macaroni And Cheese With Crisp Crumb Topping
Pasta With Spring Vegetables In Light, Lemony Cream Sauce
Sautéed Calves’ Liver With Crispy Shallots, Mashed Potatoes, And Dijon-Cognac Cream Sauce
Farfalle With Shrimp And Scallops In Spicy Saffron–Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Mayonnaise Sauces
Classic Mayonnaise
Rosemary-Mint Mayonnaise
Sweet Onion–Curry Mayonnaise
Smoky Red Pepper Mayonnaise
Avocado-Lime Mayonnaise
Vitello Tonnato Mayonnaise
Mellow Garlic Confit Aioli
Updated “Fry Sauce”
Chicken, Apple, And Hazelnut Salad With Sweet Onion–Curry Mayonnaise
Simple Seafood Stew With Grilled Bread And Smoky Red Pepper Mayonnaise
Quick Fish Tacos With Avocado-Lime Mayonnaise And Salsa Verde
Grilled Green Beans With Vitello Tonnato Mayonnaise
Hollandaise Sauces
Classic (But Lemony) Hollandaise
Lime–Brown Butter Hollandaise
“Steak Sauce” Hollandaise
Saffron–Red Pepper Hollandaise
Béarnaise Sauce
Smoked-Salmon Benedict Bites
Fried Eggs With Garlicky Chard And Saffron–Red Pepper Hollandaise
Seared Skirt Steak With Garlicky Fried Potatoes And “Steak Sauce” Hollandaise
Gravy, Jus, And Pan Sauce
Gravy
All-Purpose Turkey Broth
Jus
Pan Sauce
Sabayon Sauces
Classic Sabayon
Honey-Ginger-Tangerine Sabayon
Maple-Rum Sabayon
Grilled Figs With Classic Sabayon And Balsamic Drizzle
Jumble Of Berries With Gratinéed Honey-Ginger-Tangerine Sabayon
Rum-Soaked Prune And Frangipane Tart With Maple-Rum Sabayon
Custard Sauces
Classic Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise
Creamy Lime Crème Anglaise
Cocoa-Coconut Crème Anglaise
Maple-Nutmeg Custard Sauce
Flourless “Brownie” Cake With Classic Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise
Rice Pudding With Cardamom Meringues, Lime Crème Anglaise, And Chunky Mixed-Berry Coulis
Fruit Sauces
Mango-Mint Coulis
Raspberry Coulis
Peach-Raspberry Coulis With A Hint Of Rosemary
Chunky Mixed-Berry Coulis
Blackberry-Almond Sauce
Spiced Blueberry Sauce
Honey-Plum Sauce
Strawberry-Balsamic Sauce
Chunky Cherry Mostarda Sauce
Savory Spiced Rhubarb Sauce
Savory Blackberry-Basil Sauce
Pavlova With Mango-Mint Coulis
Homey Lemon Pudding Cake With Spiced Blueberry Sauce
Ricotta Blinztes With Honey-Plum Sauce
Crushed Strawberry-Balsamic Fool Parfait
Lamb Meatballs In Chunky Cherry Mostarda Sauce With Couscous
Caramel Sauces
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ginger Caramel Sauce
Coconut-Rum Caramel Sauce
Chocolate-Caramel Sauce
Honey-Orange Caramel Sauce
Mary Jane’s Molasses Sauce
Butter-Rum Toffee Sauce
Buttery Apple Bread Pudding With Ginger Caramel Sauce And Crème Fraîche
Roasted Pears With Butter-Rum Toffee Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream, And Tiny Pecan Cookies
Spiced Apricot And Pistachio Parfait With Honey-Orange Caramel Sauce
Chocolate Sauces
Rich Dark Chocolate Sauce
Raspberry Truffle Sauce
Chocolate-Cherry Port Sauce
Double-Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce
Mexican-Style Chocolate Sauce
Spicy Curry-Coconut Chocolate Sauce
Sour Cream–Hot Fudge Sauce
Whipped Cream Chocolate Sauce
Profiteroles With Cardamom-Coffee-Caramel Cream And Rich Dark Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate-Fleck Panna Cotta With Raspberry Truffle Sauce
Abby’s Toasted Coconut Bundt Cake With Spicy Curry-Coconut Chocolate Sauce
Index
About the Author
Copyright
[image: Getting started]
GETTING STARTED
A sauce is usually poured, ladled, dolloped, drizzled, or otherwise added to the more substantial ingredients in a dish. In other words, you could think of a sauce as just an add-on, an extra. For me, however, a sauce is the whole point. It’s the main event, even though we might be talking about only two tablespoons of vinaigrette. Like an engine of deliciousness, a well-made sauce brings energy to a dish.
I wanted to write a book on sauces because I think sauce-making is such an important and gratifying part of cooking. Yet it’s often seen as being too tricky, too time consuming, or not relevant to everyday eating. But none of that is true! There are hundreds of sauces that reward you with a hugely delicious payoff for very little trouble.
My goal with this book is to show that any cook in any kitchen can make fantastic sauces for any meal, every day. Honestly, you can incorporate a homemade sauce into breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and by doing so you’ll elevate what might be a fine plate of food to a meal you’re proud to have made and eager to eat.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A SAUCE?
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A sauce can be anything from a mustard vinaigrette that you spoon over roasted beets to a red pepper hollandaise that you nap over grilled halibut to a hot fudge sauce that you eat with a spoon right out of the pot. No matter what form your sauce takes, it will share the three traits that are the source of power for all good sauces: intense flavor, complex character, and the alchemical ability to pull all of the elements of a dish together into a delicious unity.
The way I learned to develop those traits in a sauce is the subject of this book. I want to share everything that I’ve discovered about sauces through my time at cooking school in Paris, my years as a food editor working with chefs and other amazing cooks, and my own cooking experiences as a private chef, caterer, and recipe developer as well as a home cook who needs to balance the pleasure of cooking with the constraints of a busy modern life.
I share recipes, of course, but, more important, I share my opinions, insights, and tricks, which I hope will have a big impact on your ability to understand and enjoy new sauces. In each chapter, I explain the essence of the sauce, I describe what you’re trying to achieve, and I let you know what levers to push to get to your goal. Each time you cook anything, you arrive at moments when you need to make a decision that will nudge the dish in a certain direction. I call this process “getting to delicious,” and that’s where I hope we’ll go together in this book.
WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?
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The sauces I’ve included are the ones that I find myself cooking month after month, year after year. They’re versatile, your family and friends will love them, and they’re worth the time you put into them. You’ll notice a bias toward French sauces. That’s because I learned to cook in France and French cuisine has introduced so many important sauces to the culinary world. But you’ll also find sauces inspired by Italy, Spain, Mexico, Morocco, Asia, the Middle East, and classic American comfort food—not to mention sauces that simply reflect the flavors I love. Of course, this book cannot capture the range of sauces in every cuisine. A big world of sauces exists out there, and this is just my tasty little corner of it. But I think you’ll find that it’s plenty big.
HOW ARE THE RECIPES ORGANIZED?
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Each chapter includes recipes that share a main ingredient, a key technique, or both. For example, all of the vinaigrettes in chapter two share the same method and most of the same ingredients, while the chocolate sauces in chapter fifteen use many different methods but all are made with chocolate or cocoa powder. My structure is loosely based on the French system of mother sauces, in which you have master sauces with lots of variations. Indeed, some of my sauce types are classic French mother sauces—hollandaise, mayonnaise, beurre blanc—and I include a béchamel and a velouté in the chapter on cream sauces. But I’m deliberately omitting one of the “big” French mother sauce categories, brown sauces, because I just don’t think they’re worth the effort and expense required of the home cook.
I’ve also included several dozen recipes for dishes that showcase the sauces, perhaps in ways that are new to you or that will inspire you to go beyond the obvious. Of course, a vinaigrette is delicious on salad greens, but it’s also lovely on fish, meat, or fruit. I want cooks to be able to make their sauces and then to “deploy” them in inventive and satisfying ways.
START HERE, IMPROVISE TO INFINITY
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The one-hundred-plus sauces in this book are just the tip of a delicious iceberg. Each one can be riffed on to bring in new dimensions: use a different herb, add some red pepper flakes, try pistachios instead of almonds, splash in some Calvados. Once you understand the fundamentals of a sauce, you can improvise to suit your mood, pantry, or menu. You’re equipped to create, delight, and nourish—all of the reasons cooks love to cook.
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SAUCE ESSENTIALS
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THREE KEYS TO RECIPE SUCCESS: ORGANIZING YOUR WORK, LEARNING TO SEASON, AND JUDGING DONENESS
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When I’m just cooking rather than recipe developing, I’m more an intuitive cook than a literal one. I make things up as I go along, using my technical training as a framework and then responding to the particular ingredients, equipment, weather, glasses of wine, appetites in the room, and mood that belong to me that day. So trying to write a recipe that distills all of those variables and locks them into numbers and words is hard. Every time you make a recipe, the world and its contents are a bit different, but here are three constants that will give you a good chance of success with the execution of any recipe.
DO YOUR MISE EN PLACE. I can’t stress enough the importance of mise en place, which is a professional cooking term that means “prep work” (the translation from the French is more like “put in place”). Restaurants run on it and home kitchens should too. Mise en place is about breaking the work into small, manageable components, which is what I’m going to do with this explanation. Here is how to think about mise en place:
READ THROUGH YOUR RECIPE. You need to know where you’re headed before you begin work so that you’re not ambushed by a step you’re not prepared for, such as “chill for 24 hours.”
GATHER YOUR EQUIPMENT AND HEAT THE OVEN OR GRILL. Set up your battle stations, get your gear in gear. You don’t want to be searching for a baking dish while you’ve got ingredients in the sauté pan. And you never want to put a dish in the oven before it’s come to temperature. The immediate exposure to the correct oven temperature is part of what makes a dish work. For example, a soufflé batter, made from béchamel, needs to get very hot very quickly so that the air bubbles expand and give the soufflé height before the protein in the batter has time to set and restrict any more rising. If the oven is too cool, that initial puff won’t happen properly.
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS. Line up the food you’ll be using; find substitutes for any ingredients you don’t have.
DO THE “DIRTY” PREP. Before you proceed with cooking, do the prep work that involves washing, peeling, cutting meat— any tasks that are going to produce waste or require cleanup. I like to have two stainless-steel bowls handy to collect all the scraps, one for the trash and one for the compost.
NOW, DO THE “FINE” PREP. Here’s where you chop, slice, grate, toast—anything you’re instructed to do in the actual ingredients list. And, of course, here is where you measure. Please measure liquids using a vessel designed for that, such as a Pyrex measuring cup. And measure dry ingredients either with a dry measuring cup, which allows you to level off the contents with the back of a knife for accuracy, or with a scale.
You don’t have to go as far as putting each prepped ingredient in its own little bowl, like cooks do on TV, but do arrange every ingredient so that it is within easy reach and in the right condition. And little bowls are actually handy—I have a ton of them.
Doing a thorough mise en place will sometimes feel frustrating because you’re dying to jump into the recipe and get cooking. But doing the prep work is cooking. Having everything ready will allow you to have the control and concentration you need to manage the parts of the recipe where you need to watch, smell, taste, and react. Mise en place permits creativity.
SEASON AS YOU GO. Whether a recipe lists precise measurements for salt and other seasonings or it instructs you to “taste for seasoning” or “add salt and pepper if needed,” you always want to taste and adjust the flavor until it’s as delicious as you can make it. There is no way for a recipe to provide the perfect amount of seasoning because there are always variations in ingredients: one jalapeño is hotter than the next, one brand of vinegar has more kick, and these blackberries are sweeter than those. But how do you know you’ve got the seasoning just right, especially if it’s the first time you’re making the recipe? I recommend that you get in the habit of tasting at three points of each recipe:
TASTE YOUR RAW INGREDIENTS. As you’re doing your mise en place, pop a berry in your mouth, take a tiny sip of the olive oil, chew on a parsley leaf, bite a bit of chile. Get a baseline sense of what things taste like before you start, even if you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do with that knowledge. It will function in your subconscious.
NEXT, TASTE AS YOU GO. I try to write my recipes so that you’re seasoning at various points along the way, not just giving a final seasoning once everything is together. You want each component—the sautéed onions, the pork medallions, the whipped cream—to be nicely seasoned and balanced so that flavors are integrated throughout the dish and not just seasoned on the surface.
LAST, DO A FINAL CRITIQUE OF THE SEASONING. It can be a mad rush at the end of making a dish, especially when you’re entertaining. You’re focused on getting things plated and to the table, and perhaps you’ve had a glass of wine already. But you need to stop, clear your head, take a taste, and then tinker with the seasoning to be sure your dish is as good as it can be. This final check takes only a few seconds, but those are the seconds that ensure that all of your hard work up until now will pay off beautifully.
Sometimes it’s obvious that your dish needs a squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkling of salt, but other times you’re not quite sure what it needs, especially if there are several key flavors contributing to the balance. I sometimes take out a spoonful of the sauce, add some seasoning to that portion, and then taste it to get a sense of what direction I need to go in. That way, I’m not jeopardizing the whole dish by adding too much sugar, for example.
AND PLEASE DON’T UNDERSALT. I rarely get home-cooked food that’s too salty, but I often get food that’s not salted enough. There’s a reason that restaurant food is so good: chefs know how to salt. I think there’s some free-floating anxiety about salt being bad for us, but unless you have a particular condition that calls for avoiding salt, there’s no science that says it’s bad. And just by living a life in which you eat food cooked from scratch rather than processed food, you’ve reduced your sodium intake.
“DONE” IS WHEN IT LOOKS RIGHT, NOT WHEN THE TIMER RINGS. One of the hardest aspects to quantify in cooking is how long to cook something. Will the broth be reduced in five minutes? Will the fruit be juicy in three minutes? The familiar vignette in any cooking-school student’s memory is of asking the chef, “How long should I cook it?” and getting the terse reply “until it’s done.”
Ingredients have infinite variations: sugar, moisture, protein, temperature, capsaicin levels, and more. Different pans conduct heat and allow evaporation differently and cooktops and ovens deliver heat at their own rate, so assigning a number to an action is useful only as a guideline.
The best way to determine doneness is by describing what you’re after. Brown just around the edges or all over? Cook until soft but still holding its shape or so soft that it’s a purée? In every recipe, I try to give the clues that let you know it’s time to do something, so please use these as your primary doneness tests, even if your timing is different than what is written in the recipe.
MAKING THE SAUCES AHEAD
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In each chapter, the recipes for dishes that use the sauces assume that you have your sauces made ahead, before you start work on the other components of the dish. Again, it’s important to read through your recipe and do the mise en place. In some cases, however, it’s better to make the sauce after you have completed other tasks. I’ve indicated that in those particular recipes.
HOW LONG WILL SAUCES KEEP? In each sauce recipe, I’ve indicated how long the sauce will keep in the fridge or freezer. These are minimal times. I played cautious, not knowing your fridge temperature, how often your kid reaches in for an Otter Pop, and the like. You’ll find in some cases you can keep your sauces much longer than what I say, especially those containing lots of sugar, such as the caramel sauces.
Frozen sauces won’t actually spoil after the two-or three-month limit I suggest, but they do lose their luster, and their flavor and texture deteriorate over time. This is true for all food, especially if your freezer is part of your fridge. Don’t let stuff linger too long.
HOW MUCH IS A PORTION?
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You’ll see that I’ve listed how much each sauce makes in volume rather number of portions because the size of a portion depends on you and what you’re doing with it. For example, 1/2 cup/120 milliliters vinaigrette could be enough to dress ten small side salads but only enough to dress six servings of potato salad.
GOOD COOKS CHOOSE GOOD INGREDIENTS
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A cook is only as good as his or her ingredients, so the first step of any good recipe really begins at the market. Choosing the freshest, ripest, highest quality you can is an overlooked but crucial step in “getting to delicious.” There’s no technique that can compensate for subpar ingredients. Here are my feelings about a few key items that I call for in this book.
BUTTER. I developed the recipes using unsalted butter, which lets you control the amount of salt you add to your recipe. You should always use good-quality, fresh ingredients, of course, but in recipes that rely on butter, like beurre blanc and hollandaise, it’s worth making the effort to get excellent butter, such as one from a local dairy or imported from France.
CREAM AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE. I often list these as interchangeable in a recipe because for the most part they are. Cream has a sweeter flavor and crème fraîche is slightly tangy and nutty because it has been cultured. I prefer crème fraîche, but it’s not always easy to find and it can be pricey. Bellwether Farms makes a version that tastes most like the French product. Crème fraîche will grow in volume if you whip it, but for true fluffy whipped cream, you need to use heavy cream or whipping cream.
OLIVE OIL AND OTHER OILS. I am often asked what type of oil is the best to use: any oil that’s fresh. I am dismayed by how much rancid oil I encounter at people’s houses, not that I’m riffling through their cabinets, of course! But even friends who cook often have opened bottles of olive oil that are six months old or older on their counter. I guarantee that the flavor is either very stale or downright rancid—not pleasant to eat and not healthful, either.
All oils get rancid the longer they are exposed to heat, light, and oxygen, even those you think of as shelf stable, such as canola or other vegetable oils. I keep most of my opened oils in the fridge, especially nut oils such as walnut. Extra-virgin olive oil will solidify in the cold, but will quickly melt back to normal as it sits at room temperature for a few minutes.
When you first open a new bottle of any oil, taste it so you have a benchmark of freshness; then taste it every few days or weeks to monitor the flavor. If it tastes funny or you feel a slight dryness on your tongue, the oil is probably rancid, so throw it out and start fresh.
For the sauces in this book that call for extra-virgin olive oil, I prefer one that is not too assertive. That type is better “naked,” just for drizzling or dipping. The two mainstream brands I typically use are Unio, from Spain, and Lucini, from Italy. They have character but play well with others.
NUTS. Ditto re: freshness; nuts turn rancid easily. Store extra nuts tightly wrapped in the freezer, and always taste a couple of nuts before you use them in a recipe. You don’t want to ruin your beautiful pesto with nasty pine nuts.
PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE. I use a lot of Parmigiano in my life. I go through mounds every month. Adding a little Parmigiano to a dish to boost its savoriness is a frequent tactic in my kitchen (along with grated lemon zest; those two ingredients save many a dish!). Please invest in imported Parmigiano-Reggiano—not pregrated—even though prices can get quite steep. The cheese is intense so you won’t use a lot, and the flavor and texture are superior to domestic Parmesans. I will sometimes use grana padano, a close cousin in flavor and texture that’s an acceptable substitute if need be.
Be sure to wrap your Parmigiano well because it can dry out and get hard and slightly piquant. Some cooks abhor the notion of putting good cheese in plastic wrap because it doesn’t allow the cheese to breathe, but I find cheese papers an inadequate protection, so I usually use plastic wrap and apologize to the cheese. The ideal would be to wrap the cheese in cheese paper and then pop that into a plastic bag or airtight container, and someday I will store my cheese that way.
SALT. All of the recipes in this book call for kosher salt. It’s not the kosher part that matters. It’s the structure of the grains of salt, which are larger than the grains of a typical table salt. I like Diamond Crystal brand, in the red box; it’s sold in most grocery stores.
The large grains give you more control when you grab a pinch and sprinkle it on your food, and the Diamond Crystal is nicely crushable, so you can make it powdery as you pinch, for better blending.
You can use table salt or a fine sea salt as you like, but be aware that 1 teaspoon of table or fine sea salt will be roughly twice as “salty” as 1 teaspoon kosher salt, not because the sodium chloride is any different, but because the amount of salt per volume is different. Kosher salt is fluffier, for lack of a better term, and so less salt fills more space. Please adjust the recipes if you don’t use kosher salt.
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VINAIGRETTES
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VINAIGRETTES GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST PAYOFF FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORK OF ANY GROUP OF SAUCES. A vinaigrette takes seconds to make, is incredibly versatile, and when the balance of flavors is right, is a catalyst that lifts simple ingredients to a new level.
Mastering vinaigrettes will also liberate you from a refrigerator full of bottled salad dressings. It’s crazy to buy something from a factory when you can make your own easily, no? You will be able to create the perfect vinaigrette for the moment in just the amount you need, ensuring flavors are fresh and vibrant. The vast world of mixed green salads is the most obvious destination for vinaigrettes. But many other foods benefit from a drizzle of one of these zingy dressings. Earthy, starchy vegetables, in particular, cry out for them, so dress potato, grain, and bean salads with a vinaigrette. (When you do, add the vinaigrette while the food is still warm so that instead of just sitting on top, it gets absorbed into the ingredients. This small step makes a huge difference!) A sharp vinaigrette will also will bring out the sweetness in fruits and sweet vegetables, such as melon, peach, nectarine, mango, or strawberry. Sliced tomatoes, grilled vegetables, bread salads, sliced cold roast pork or beef, and grilled meats, poultry, and fish are all are good with a vinaigrette. Once you master this classic sauce, you’ll see that the possibilities are actually endless.
I organize my vinaigrettes into three loose categories: (1) simple, where the pleasure and flavor balance come from the tension between the oil and the acid; (2) creamy or thickened, where cream or cheese or another ingredient enhances the role of the oil; and (3) chunky, which means that other ingredients—think nuts, bacon, olives—are stirred into the vinaigrette. The final character of the sauce is different for each, but the method for making them is essentially the same.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS SAUCE?
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At its simplest, a vinaigrette is made of just two ingredients, oil and vinegar, plus salt and usually a few more items to make things interesting. Despite the expression oil and water don’t mix, when making a vinaigrette, you convince them to mix by coaxing them into an emulsion. This means that the vinegar droplets are evenly dispersed throughout the oil, creating a blended, cohesive consistency. For a longer-lasting emulsion, you use other ingredients to bind the oil and vinegar (most often a small amount of mustard does the trick). The resulting consistency is smoother, thicker, and almost creamy.
Why do you care if a vinaigrette is emulsified? A blended texture means that the flavors of the vinaigrette will be distributed evenly over your salad or other food. This way, you won’t have one bite that’s too sharp and acidic and another that’s too oily and bland. There is such a thing as a “broken” vinaigrette, in which the two components are not thoroughly mixed on purpose, so the colorful droplets of oil and vinegar add to the look of the dish. This is more for looks than flavor, however, and for me, flavor rules, so I like to blend my dressings.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG AND HOW CAN I FIX IT?
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The emulsion can break when you don’t want it to, resulting in oil floating on top of the vinegar. The fix is simple: whisk it again. If it refuses to stay blended, you can whisk in a tiny bit of Dijon mustard, some egg yolk, or a touch of mayonnaise, all of which are good emulsifiers and won’t change your original flavors too much.
Vinaigrettes stay blended much longer if you make them in a blender or food processor. For small quantities, I’ll sometimes use my Aerolatte milk frother, a tiny immersion blender designed for foaming milk for cappuccinos. It’s brilliant for vinaigrettes and a cinch to use and clean.
The flavor balance of a vinaigrette can be off, too. It’s important to balance the acid and the oil. How many salads have you been served with a vinaigrette that is either flat and boring or wincingly sharp? Too many. Here’s a useful ratio that will help you achieve the ideal balance: three parts oil to one part vinegar (or other acidic ingredient). Start with those proportions and then taste and adjust until the flavor is bright and balanced. I like to lean to the sharp side, so when I taste what I consider a properly balanced vinaigrette, the acidity makes me shudder just the tiniest bit. Remember, a small amount of vinaigrette is going to dress a large amount of blander food, so it needs to be bright and assertive.
HOW MUCH SAUCE PER SERVING?
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Typically, you won’t need much more than 2 tablespoons per person, depending on what you’re serving, of course.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
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A small bowl and a whisk are all you need. For larger batches, a blender or food processor comes in handy. Some people like to shake their vinaigrettes together in a jar, but I don’t get a very long-lasting emulsion when I use the shake method. As I already mentioned, my favorite tool is actually a toy of sorts: a battery-powered milk foamer that you dip into your bowl of vinaigrette ingredients and turn on for a few seconds.
STORAGE
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Because vinaigrettes are so quick to make, I like to think of them as à la minute sauces, that is, you make them right before you serve them. But they’ll keep perfectly well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Beyond that, the flavor flattens out. Also, dressings with anchovies taste “off” sooner; I like to use them within 2 days.
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CLASSIC SHERRY VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
This is my go-to vinaigrette, perfect for dressing anything from a simple green salad to earthy French lentils to a platter of grilled vegetables. You can vary it by switching to a different oil or vinegar or by adding fresh herbs or other flavorings. I use sherry vinegar because I like its mellow, rounded flavor and I find it is less harsh and more complex than most red wine vinegars. My oil choice is usually a moderately priced extra-virgin olive oil with a fruity character. No cough-inducing bitterness typical of a big Tuscan oil, please. I like Unio and Lucini brands, the former from Spain and the latter from Italy.
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
QUICK CHANGE
Substitute an equal amount of red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar.
Use half fresh lemon juice and half vinegar for the vinegar.
Add 1 tsp finely minced shallot with the vinegar and mustard.
Substitute walnut, hazelnut, or grapeseed oil for all or part of the olive oil.
Crumble in some blue or feta cheese after you’ve whisked in the oil.
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DOUBLE-MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
A good mustard dressing is a must in every cook’s repertoire. This one is nicely versatile, good on anything from a salad of bitter greens with blue cheese and bacon to grilled rib-eye steak or roasted potatoes. I like to use two kinds of mustard: whole-grain Dijon mustard adds an appealing texture and mellow note (mellow for mustard, that is), and smooth Dijon brings in more sinus-clearing heat and tang.
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard (moutarde à l’ancienne)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
3 drops hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, both mustards, honey, hot-pepper sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
QUICK CHANGE Use walnut oil instead of olive oil.
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CAESAR-STYLE VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
This is my family’s “house” dressing. In fact, I’d say that 75 percent of the salads we eat at home are dressed in some version of this lemon-Parmigiano vinaigrette. Yes, anchovies are part of the mix, but they create more of a savory background than a fishy note (for a stronger anchovy flavor, try the Creamy Anchovy-Caper Vinaigrette). Unlike a classic Caesar dressing, this recipe does not call for raw egg yolk.
I like this dressing to be fairly creamy, so I make it in a food processor. But you can easily make it with a bowl and a whisk as well, or with a mortar and pestle. If you do, your final texture may be slightly more nubby than creamy.
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 to 3 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets
1 to 2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine the cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, anchovies, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper and pulse until well blended. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and process until the vinaigrette is creamy and blended, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
QUICK CHANGE Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce before you add the oil and 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil just before serving.
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MELLOW GARLIC-BASIL VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
I have a love-hate relationship with garlic: I love it when it’s cooked and hate it when it’s raw. I’ve solved the problem here by poaching the cloves in oil to capture their flavor without their raw harshness. You can save the tender poached cloves to spread onto bruschetta, blend into a soup, or whiz into homemade mayonnaise.
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 small cloves garlic, lightly smashed
14 large fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small saucepan, heat the oil and garlic over medium-low heat until the cloves are just barely sizzling but not browning, 4 to 6 minutes. Continue to poach at a low simmer for 10 minutes; do not allow the garlic to brown.
Remove the pan from the heat and add 10 of the basil leaves. Let the basil infuse the oil off the heat for 20 minutes, then remove the garlic and basil leaves, gently squeezing the oil from the leaves back into the pan. Discard the basil but save the garlic for another use.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon zest, mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Gradually whisk in the infused oil, a little at a time, until the dressing is creamy and blended. Stack the remaining 4 basil leaves, roll up the stack lengthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise to make thin shreds (this cut is called a chiffonade). Stir the sliced basil into the dressing. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The basil will darken but the flavor will be fine.
QUICK CHANGE Use balsamic vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and orange zest instead of lemon zest.
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SPICY GINGER-LIME-GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
The key to this dressing is to balance the tension between the sweet, salty, sour, and hot flavors. Once the dressing is made, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then taste and tinker a bit to dial in the right balance just before serving. Even though the flavors are zingy, this is still a delicate vinaigrette that is best served with delicate partners, such as grilled tofu, shrimp, steamed asparagus, or even chunks of honeydew.
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated lime zest 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt
6 to 10 drops hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
1/4 cup/60 ml grapeseed, canola, or other neutral vegetable oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, vinegar, ginger, garlic, mustard, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 6 drops hot-pepper sauce. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Let the dressing sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, then taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
QUICK CHANGE
Add 1 tsp soy sauce with the lime juice.
Add 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro after adding the oil.
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TOMATO-GINGER VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
This slightly sweet vinaigrette can be used to dress up much more than just salad. Spoon it over grilled white-fleshed fish, such as halibut, for a main course or over roasted red bell peppers for an antipasto. The tomato flavor in the vinaigrette comes from two sources, the sweet sun-dried tomato and the deeper tomato paste. The cider vinegar contributes a bright, acidic backbone.
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated orange zest
1 tbsp minced oil-packed (or other soft) sun-dried tomato
1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few drops hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, sun-dried tomato, ginger, mustard, tomato paste, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and the hot-pepper sauce. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
QUICK CHANGE Add 1 Calabrian chile in oil, finely minced, and 1 tbsp finely diced fresh tomato after adding the oil.
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RASPBERRY-THYME VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
I started cooking in the late 1980s, around the time The Silver Palate cookbook was first published. I think of that era as The Age of the Raspberry Vinaigrette. The concoction was so overused that I couldn’t go near the stuff for years. But a well-made raspberry vinaigrette is a beautiful thing, full of summery perfume and balanced fruit flavor, and I’m ready to embrace it again. I don’t make mine with raspberry vinegar. I use real raspberries, either fresh or frozen, and I add fresh thyme to balance out the sweetness of the fruit.
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries
6 tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together both vinegars, the thyme, mustard, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Add the raspberries and crush coarsely with a wooden spoon or the whisk. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning, adding more sugar if needed. If time permits, let the vinaigrette sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before using so the berries release their juices. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
QUICK CHANGE
Use ripe blackberries instead of raspberries, adding more sugar if the berries are tart.
Add 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon after adding the oil.
Use fresh lime juice instead of white wine vinegar.
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FRESH ORANGE–SMOKED PAPRIKA VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
I’m addicted to this flavor combination. It tastes like the exotic vacation that I never quite manage to take! Once you start cooking with smoked paprika, you’ll find a million uses for it (see the box below), so don’t hesitate to invest in a small can. It won’t go to waste.
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated orange zest 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika (see ingredient note)
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 drops hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
Kosher salt
1/2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, paprika, sugar, hot-pepper sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the dressing is creamy and blended. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Whisk again to blend just before using.
INGREDIENT NOTE: Spanish smoked paprika, also known as pimentón de la Vera, comes in three types, sweet (dulce), medium-hot (agridulce) and hot (picante). Look for it in stores that specialize in Spanish foods or carry a wide selection of gourmet foods or online.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
QUICK CHANGE Add 2 tbsp finely diced roasted red bell pepper after adding the oil.
TEN DELICIOUS THINGS TO DO WITH SPANISH SMOKED PAPRIKA
1. Make a marinade for grilled shrimp with smoked paprika, finely grated lemon zest, minced garlic, and olive oil.
2. Add a few teaspoons to your favorite gazpacho recipe.
3. Mix into hummus.
4. Sprinkle on deviled eggs.
5. Make a steak rub with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and ground fennel.
6. Sprinkle onto chunks of juicy mango.
7. Add to a rice pilaf and serve with grilled sausages.
8. Gently sauté sliced red bell peppers until soft and compotelike, then season with smoked paprika and a few drops of sherry vinegar.
9. Use to season strips of chicken breast, then sauté for fajitas or burritos.
10. Sprinkle on fried potatoes and onions and serve with
lemon wedges.
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TANGERINE–BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP/180 ML
Adding butter to vinaigrette might seem strange, but once you taste it, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it before. The nutty, rich brown butter gives the dressing some extra flavor and richness, and the mild acidity of the tangerines is the perfect foil. This sauce is beautiful on delicate fish such as albacore tuna and richer fish such as salmon, on steamed broccoli, or on roasted rings of butternut squash.
2 tangerines
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh chives
Using a rasp-type grater, finely grate 1 tsp lightly packed zest from the tangerines and reserve. Squeeze the juice from the tangerines into a small saucepan, taking care not to let any seeds fall into the pan. You should have about 1/2 cup/ 120 ml. Add the zest, vinegar, and shallot; bring to a simmer over medium heat; and cook, stirring often, until reduced by about half (to 1/4 cup/60 ml), about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
In another small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds, until all of the water has sizzled off, the milk solids at the bottom of the pan have turned deep gold, and the butter smells nutty and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour the butter into a small heatproof bowl so it stops cooking; keep warm.
Whisk the mustard into the reduced tangerine mixture in the saucepan. Then whisk in the brown butter (including the milk solids) and the olive oil. Season with a little salt, then taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Stir in the chives. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The butter will solidify when cold, so take the vinaigrette out of the fridge 30 minutes before using it, or reheat it briefly in a microwave.
QUICK CHANGE
Add a few drops of hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha.
Add 1/4 tsp sweet Spanish smoked paprika to the reduced juice mixture.
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TOASTED-ALMOND VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/3 CUP/75 ML
I first tasted a dressing like this at Clyde Common, one of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Oregon, and I’ve been tinkering with my own version ever since. Because I like the almonds very finely chopped, I use a food processor, but you could chop them by hand with a sharp chef’s knife. (Some confusion exists over what are sliced almonds and what are slivered almonds, so here’s how it goes: sliced are flat, waferlike slices and slivered are the tiny french-fry shapes.) One of my favorite ways to use this vinaigrette is to steam some green beans, line them up neatly on a plate, and pour a ribbon of the vinaigrette down the middle. It’s a beautiful first course for a summer supper.
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil 1 tsp minced shallot
Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet or pie pan and toast in the oven until lightly golden and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. Transfer the almonds to a food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Do not pulse until they become a paste, however. Or, chop the almonds by hand, if you like, but they must be very finely minced.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Gradually whisk in the oil, a little at a time, until the sauce is creamy and blended. Whisk in the almonds and shallot. Taste and adjust the flavor balance and seasoning. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Whisk again to blend just before using.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
QUICK CHANGE Use hazelnuts instead of almonds and add 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon with the nuts and shallot.
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CREAMY ANCHOVY-CAPER VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES 1/2 CUP/120 ML
The flavor of this dressing is intense, but despite the number of anchovies, it’s not fishy, I promise. The net effect of the anchovies is a deep savoriness, topped with some zing from the capers. I use a finishing touch of cream to blend all of the flavors together and give the dressing body.
Be sure to use high-quality anchovies packed in olive oil (see ingredient note). Making the dressing in a food processor will ensure the anchovies and capers are fully incorporated. A mortar and pestle will work too, with a bit more effort on your part. I love this vinaigrette over boiled new potatoes or as a dip for steamed artichokes or crusty bread.
10 olive oil–packed anchovy fillets, drained
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp drained capers
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small clove garlic
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp heavy cream or crème fraîche
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, combine the anchovies, vinegar, capers, parsley, and garlic and whiz until puréed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and then the cream and process until well blended and slightly thickened, about 20 seconds. The dressing won’t be completely smooth. Season with pepper. You probably won’t need to add any salt because of the anchovies and capers, but taste the dressing and add some if you do; adjust the other flavors. Whisk again to blend just before using.
INGREDIENT NOTE: It pays to buy good-quality olive oil–packed anchovy fillets. When I’m in the mood to splurge, I buy Spanish Ortiz brand fillets, which are always sweet and meaty. Roland, another Spanish brand, is less expensive but reliable. Scalia, from Sicily, is somewhere in the middle in both quality and price. Some cooks prefer salt-packed whole anchovies for their firmer texture and full flavor. I agree that they’re delicious when well prepared, but they take work to get that way (soaking, filleting), so I usually opt for oil-packed fillets.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
QUICK CHANGE
Use fresh lemon juice instead of white wine vinegar.
Use walnut oil instead of olive oil.
Add 1/2 tsp finely minced Calabrian chile in oil along with the capers.
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WARM MAPLE-BACON VINAIGRETTE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP/120 ML
This rich and somewhat indulgent sauce calls for bacon fat, in addition to olive oil. That combination keeps the vinaigrette from seeming too greasy, especially once it cools a bit. Feel free to shift the balance toward even more olive oil, if you like.
The key to using a warm vinaigrette is to pair it with a sturdy partner. If it’s a green salad, use frisée, escarole, radicchio, baby kale, or other hearty green that will wilt slightly from the heat but not turn into a slimy mess, which a tender lettuce, such as Bibb, would do. I also like warm vinaigrettes like this one on cooked lentils, roasted root vegetables, and especially on potatoes.
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-in/12-mm pieces 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for finishing (optional)
2 tbsp finely minced shallot
1/2 cup/120 ml sherry vinegar
1/4 cup/60 ml pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or dash of hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
In a frying pan, combine the bacon and the 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and cook, turning the bacon occasionally, until it is browned and crisp and has rendered most of its fat, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tsp of the fat from the pan into a small bowl and set the bowl aside.
Return the pan to medium heat, add the shallot, and cook, stirring constantly, until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the vinegar (stand back, the fumes are pungent!), and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the pan bottom. Let the vinegar reduce by about half, about 3 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and cook, stirring, until well blended and heated through, another 30 seconds or so. (You can prepare the dressing up to this point up to 4 hours before serving. Just before serving, reheat gently.) Whisk about 2 tbsp of the oil-bacon fat mixture, or 1 tbsp of the oil-bacon fat mixture and the remainig 1 tbsp olive oil, into the warm vinegar mixture, then taste. The flavor should be quite sharp, but if it’s too sharp, whisk in more oil. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and cayenne, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the reserved bacon and dress your salad right away.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you are making the vinaigrette in advance, store the bacon pieces and vinaigrette separately and add the bacon just before serving. Gently reheat until warm.
QUICK CHANGE Omit the maple syrup and use half balsamic and half sherry vinegar.
APPLE and FENNEL SALAD with CANDIED WALNUTS and DOUBLE-MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
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SERVES 6
Waldorf salad was my inspiration for this crunchy, sweet-tart salad. I’ve always liked the apple-celeryraisin Waldorf combo but never liked the cloak of mayonnaise. Here, the fruits and vegetables are paired with a tangy mustard vinaigrette, and I’ve swapped out the celery in favor of fennel.
This salad would also be lovely dressed with Classic Sherry Vinaigrette or Mellow Garlic-Basil Vinaigrette. The candied walnut recipe makes more than you need for this salad, but once you taste them, you’ll understand why I’ve included extras for munching.
CANDIED WALNUTS
1 egg white
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup/50 g granulated sugar
1 tbsp lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder or red pepper flakes 2 cups/250g walnut halves
SALAD
1 fennel bulb
1/2 cup/120 ml Double-Mustard Vinaigrette
1 lb/455 g crisp apples such as Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp (about 2 medium), halved, cored, and sliced 1/8 in/3mm thick 1/4 cup/40 g raisins
TO MAKE THE CANDIED WALNUTS, heat the oven to 325°F/165°C/gas 3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg white and water until foamy. Whisk in both sugars, the salt, cinnamon, coriander, and chipotle chile powder. Add the walnuts and toss to coat evenly. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, place in the oven, and toast the nuts for 15 minutes. Stir the nuts and continue to toast until fragrant and dry looking, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the nuts from the oven, let them cool until they can be handled, and then break up any clumps with your fingers and let cool completely. Coarsely chop enough nuts to measure 1 cup/125 g and set aside for the salad. Store the remainder in an airtight container at room temperature for snacking or other use.
TO MAKE THE SALAD, cut off the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulb so it doesn’t look like a bagpipe anymore. Trim away the hard part at the base. If the outer layer of the bulb looks tough or fibrous, peel away the surface with a vegetable peeler. Cut the bulb into small dice, transfer to a bowl, drizzle with about 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette, and toss until thoroughly coated. Put the apples in another bowl, drizzle with about 3 tbsp of the vinaigrette, and toss until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate the apple and fennel separately for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to crisp them.
Arrange the apple slices in a wide mound on a serving platter or in a large shallow bowl, and top with the fennel in a smaller mound so that the apples show underneath. Drizzle more of the vinaigrette over the top. You may not need all of the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the raisins over the fennel and then sprinkle the whole salad with the candied walnuts. Serve immediately.
ORANGE SALAD with FRESH ORANGE–SMOKED PAPRIKA VINAIGRETTE, ICED ONIONS, and CILANTRO
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SERVES 6
[image: image49]
Look for an interesting orange variety for this salad, such as Cara Cara (which has a lovely pink blush) or blood oranges (which are a deep magenta inside). If you’re not a cilantro fan (I’ve heard that there are some of you out there), basil or parsley would work fine. Soaking the onion is a trick I learned at my one and only restaurant kitchen job, and a fine trick it is. It reduces the bite of raw onion and makes it crunchy and almost translucent.
This salad is good alongside anything from the grill, but it goes especially well with grilled steak. It also makes a nice last course if you don’t want a sweet dessert.
1/8 small red onion, sliced paper-thin 3 juicy oranges such as blood or Cara Cara or other navel
1/2 cup/120 ml Fresh Orange–Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, or whole cilantro leaves
In a small bowl, combine the onion slices with ice water to cover for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, working with one orange at a time, cut a slice off each end to reveal the flesh. Stand the orange on a sliced flat end on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, slice away the peel, including all of the white pith, cutting from the top to the bottom and following the contour of the fruit. Take your time and work in wide strips. Turn the peeled orange on its side and cut crosswise into rounds 1/4 in/6 mm thick. Repeat with the remaining two oranges.
Put the vinaigrette in a wide, shallow bowl, add the orange slices, and toss gently to coat. Arrange the oranges on a serving plate, overlapping them slightly. Pour any extra vinaigrette and juices from the bowl into a small pitcher for serving on the side.
Drain the onion slices and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Scatter the onion over the oranges, then sprinkle with the cilantro. You can prepare the salad as much as 4 hours ahead and refrigerate it, though don’t add the cilantro until just before serving. The salad is not at its best when ice-cold, however, so take it out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving.
SALMON FILLETS on CREAMY MASHED POTATOES and TURNIPS with TANGERINE–BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
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SERVES 6
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This is a great dish for late winter when spring is still just a concept but you’re already hankering for something light and fresh. Halibut fillets work nicely here, too, but they’re not as colorful as salmon on the plate. If you’re preparing this for company, you can make the mashed potatoes and the base of the vinaigrette ahead, and have the fish ready to pop into the oven as you start to clear the dishes from the first course. Just reheat the potatoes, brown your butter, and assemble your plates.
2 lb/910 g medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 lb/455 g turnips, peeled and quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup/120 ml heavy cream or crème fraîche 3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
Six 6-to 8-oz/170-to 225-g skinned wild salmon fillets
1/2 cup Tangerine–Brown Butter Vinaigrette
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley
In a large pot, combine the potatoes and turnips with generously salted water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Scoop out and reserve about 1 cup/240 ml of the cooking water, and then drain the vegetables in a colander.
Return the potatoes and turnips to the pot, place over low heat, and heat, stirring constantly, to dry them out thoroughly, about 3 minutes. (You’ll see a lot of steam rising from the vegetables at first, but as they dry, you should see less.) Transfer them to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream and 2 tbsp of the butter, and beat on low speed until very smooth. Or, remove the potatoes and turnips from the pot, put them through a ricer or a food mill held over the pot to keep warm, and then add the cream and 2 tbsp of the butter and mix with a wooden spoon until very smooth.
If the potatoes are a bit stiff, loosen them by incorporating a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking liquid. Season generously with salt and pepper, then return them to the pot to keep warm if you have used a mixer. (You can make the potatoes up to 4 hours ahead and gently reheat them in a microwave or on the stove top with a little milk before serving.) About 30 minutes before serving time, heat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.
Rub a 9-by-13-in/23-by-33-cm baking dish with 1/2 tbsp of the remaining butter.
Season the salmon fillets generously on both sides with salt and pepper and arrange in the prepared baking dish in a single layer (if your fillets are thick on one end, thin on the other, fold the thin end under to make neat fillets of even thickness). Dot with the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the fish is just barely opaque in the center, 10 to 12 minutes (a few minutes less for very thin fillets).
Put a mound of turnipy potatoes in the center of each warmed dinner plate and arrange a fillet on top or next to them. Spoon an equal amount of the vinaigrette over each fillet so that it drizzles down onto the potatoes, too. Sprinkle each plate with chives. Serve right away.
CEASAR-STYLE HEARTS OF ROMAINE SALAD with GRILLED PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CROUTONS and LEMON
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SERVES 4 TO 6
Romaine lettuce is usually available two ways at the grocery store: the whole head, which can be found loose with other heads of lettuce, and the heart, which usually comes three to a bag. I don’t normally buy bagged produce, but in this case I do. You get the tender, juicy, crunchy leaves of the romaine heart and not the raggedy outer leaves of a whole head, which I often end up composting anyway.
Grilling lemon slices is easy and is a delicious way to add a bright flavor to salads or grilled vegetable platters. Be sure to grill them until they start to brown and are quite soft and chewy. If you stop too soon, you end up with steamed lemon slices.
1 lemon, sliced crosswise 1/8 in/3 mm thick and slices seeded 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup/55 g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 4 tbsp/55g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest 3 large slices artisanal white bread, 1 in/2.5 cm thick
2 romaine lettuce hearts, cored and cut crosswise into strips 1 in/ 2.5 cm wide
1/2 cup Caesar-Style Vinaigrette
1/4 cup/10 g coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal or gas grill. The fire is ready when you can comfortably hold your hand, palm-side down, 2 to 3 in/5 to 7.5 cm above the grill rack for 4 seconds.
Brush the lemon slices with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season generously with salt. Wrap the slices in a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, sealing the edges so the oil doesn’t leak out. Grill until soft and browned, about 15 minutes, flipping the packet once or twice. Transfer the lemons to a cutting board and chop finely.
While the lemons are grilling, in a bowl, stir together the cheese, butter, garlic, lemon zest, and 1/8 tsp salt. Brush one side of the bread slices with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill, oiled-side up, until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the bread slices, spread the grilled side with the butter-cheese mixture, cover the grill, and grill until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes.
In a large bowl, toss the romaine with the vinaigrette, coating evenly. Add the bread cubes, parsley, and chopped lemons. Toss to combine and serve right away.
SMASHED NEW POTATO SALAD with WARM MAPLE-BACON VINAIGRETTE and SCALLIONS
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SERVES 4 TO 6
In too many potato salads, the dressing slides around on the surface of the potatoes and never sinks in, so the experience is a disconnect between tangy and bland. I address that problem two different ways here: First, I smash the potatoes a bit to create lots of crevices to catch the dressing (who says potato salad equals diced potato?). Second, I use a warm dressing on warm potatoes, so the two get intimate quite quickly.
11/2 lb/680 g small new potatoes or larger waxy potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks 2 bay leaves (optional)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup Warm Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette
Freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise
In a large pot, combine the potatoes, bay leaves (if using), 2 tbsp salt, and water to cover by 1 to 2 in/2.5 to 5 cm and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Scoop out about 1 cup/ 240 ml of the cooking water, and then drain the potatoes in a colander.
Return the potatoes to the pot off the heat and crush the potatoes lightly with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Pour about half of the vinaigrette over the potatoes, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat. Let sit for a couple of minutes so the potatoes can absorb the dressing, and then pour over the remaining vinaigrette, and toss again. If the potatoes seem a touch dry, fold in a few spoonfuls of the cooking water to moisten them and make everything creamy.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the green onions, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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HERB SAUCES
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IF FOR SOME KARMIC REASON I WAS REINCARNATED AS A SAUCE, I HOPE IT WOULD BE A PESTO. Pestos always smell like summer, fresh and alive. Their fresh herbs carry an intoxicating fragrance that begins to seduce you the moment you pick them from your garden or off the market shelf and continues as you chop them, make the sauce, and serve it. And the color, which ranges from vivacious grass green to deep jade (though they don’t always stay green), is seductive too. Fragrance and color signal the flavors to come: bright and complex, perfect partners for mild starches and quiet vegetables (like green beans) that can use a personality boost.
Here, I’m grouping four Italian-style pestos with a trio of other fresh herb sauces inspired by the kitchens of France, Morocco, and Argentina. Although none of the latter shares a cultural heritage, they do share the vibrant color and perfume of fresh herbs. They are also united by an uncompromising need for pristine, flavorful herbs: fresh, supple, glorious, potent bunches of basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, or whatever you’re using. No matter how good a recipe is or how superior your olive oil or cheese or pine nuts are, your herb-based sauce isn’t worth making with a droopy clutch of herb sprigs trapped inside a plastic pack. So if the herbs at the store or market don’t look, smell, and taste exceptional, skip making this kind of sauce and go for something else.
Herb sauces typically have a lot going on, so I like to match them with uncomplicated dishes that won’t compete. The pestos, which are richer than the other herb sauces in the chapter because they contain cheese and/or nuts, are delicious on just about any pasta or plain starch, such as rice or potatoes. They are also wonderful spread on pizza, focaccia, sandwiches, or swirled into vegetable or bean soups.
The other herb sauces are more aggressive and include ingredients such as capers, cornichons, spices, and vinegars. I like these sauces with foods that can talk back a little, like grilled meat, fish, or chicken or sassy vegetables like roasted red peppers or roasted beets. These sauces also have a looser consistency, so they don’t work as well as spreads or toppings.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS SAUCE?
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There are two keys to a good herb sauce: releasing the flavor of the herbs without bruising or muddying them and balancing the herbs’ flavors with the other ingredients. Techniquewise, you’re either chopping herbs by hand or with a food processor. With both methods, you need to take care to avoid bruising the herbs, especially tender ones such as basil and tarragon. You want to slice cleanly through the leaves until you have the fineness you need. Don’t enthusiastically chop-chop the way you might cut a clove of garlic or you’ll end up crushing, rather than slicing, the tender herbs. Use a very sharp knife (you sharpen all your knives regularly, right?) or, if using a food processor, be judicious with your pulsing.
You also need to pay attention to how finely you want the herbs chopped and whether you want the final texture of the sauce to be blended and creamy, as with pesto, or loose and bitty, which is the case with the other sauces in this chapter.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG AND HOW CAN I FIX IT?
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As I mentioned, the main problem with fresh herb sauces comes from herbs that are past their prime or lack flavor. For slightly limp specimens, soak them in very cold water for about 20 minutes, then spin them until dry in a salad spinner. If the flavor is blah, add some fresh flat-leaf parsley to the mix to perk things up. Parsley is the unsung hero of the kitchen and is in almost every store. At a minimum, it usually has a decent flavor; at its best, it’s sweet and grassy with just a touch of anise.
If the finished sauce tastes flat, a pinch of grated lemon zest and/or a few drops of lemon juice can add sprightliness. You’ll find that my cure for everything in the kitchen is grated lemon zest. If you’ve overprocessed your pesto and it resembles the homogenous, murky stuff you find in store-bought jars, chop a few extra herbs by hand and stir them in to add texture.
HOW MUCH SAUCE PER SERVING?
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How much you need depends on how you’re using the sauce, of course, but 3 to 4 tablespoons per person is average.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
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You need a sharp chef’s knife and/or a food processor. A mortar and a pestle are fun for emotional reasons, though I don’t recommend them. A rasp-type grater will make grating cheese and citrus zest a pleasure. Honestly.
STORAGE
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The pestos are at their peak the moment they are made and up to an hour or so after you make them. If you only know pesto from a jar, you’ll taste the difference freshness makes. The other sauces benefit from at least 30 minutes of “marrying time,” though it’s okay to serve them straightaway. To avoid having to do everything at the last minute, you can measure and chop all of the ingredients other than the herbs and citrus zest up to several hours ahead, and then do the final chopping or processing when you assemble the sauce.
All of these sauces will keep in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They freeze well, too: put a practical amount, such as 1/2 cup/120 milliliters (about right for two servings of angel hair pasta, for instance) into a small ziplock freezer bag, push out all of the air, zip closed, and mark with the contents and the date. Put the small bags in a larger freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Whenever you need a taste of summer, just reach in and grab a bag. The sauce will thaw quickly at room temperature, or, and depending on the recipe, you can sometimes toss the pesto in frozen. The other sauces don’t freeze as well, probably because the relatively high proportion of acid renders the herbs irredeemably flat after thawing.
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A GREAT BASIC PESTO
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MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP/240 ML
This is pretty much a regulation pesto, though I include a few more nuts for richness than some cooks do and some grated lemon zest for a bright note. Use a fruity extra-virgin olive oil, but not a powerhouse Tuscan type, which would be too bitter.
The classic destination for basil pesto is trenette or linguine, but I like it on angel hair pasta, too. Scoop out and reserve some of the pasta cooking water before you drain it, and then add a few spoonfuls to the pan as you toss the pasta with the pesto. The starchy cooking water will emulsify the sauce and make it creamy. And pesto has great potential beyond pasta: on grilled vegetables, in sandwiches, swirled into soups, or spooned on baked fish.
3 cups/70 g lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup/35 g pine nuts
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup/120 ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup/55 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, 1 tsp salt, and the lemon zest and pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil is blended with the other ingredients. If you want a finer, smoother consistency, continue processing until the pesto looks good to you.
Add the cheese and pulse for another second or two. Taste and add more salt, if you like.
Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
STORAGE This sauce is best if served within the hour, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface for up to 3 days. Or, freeze in one or more ziplock freezer bags for up to 3 months.
QUICK CHANGE
Use parsley instead of the basil.
Use almonds, walnuts, or pecans, or a mixture of nuts, instead of the pine nuts.
Use a mix of aged pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Omit the cheese for a leaner, grassier pesto.
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A VERY FRENCH PESTO
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MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP/240 ML
This pesto includes the traditional fines herbes combination of tarragon, parsley, chives, and dill, which gives it a decidedly French feel. It may seem like an unusual addition, but I add butter to this sauce, because it helps to transfer the delicate herbal flavors to whatever I am serving it with.
I like to rub this pesto under the skin of a chicken, slip a lemon half into the bird’s cavity, and then roast the chicken. It emerges from the oven tasting like Paris. The pesto also provides a quick and easy way to dress up side dishes: spoon it over steamed new potatoes, fold a few spoonfuls into steamed rice, or drizzle it over broiled or grilled tomato halves.
2 cups/55 g lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup/7 g lightly packed fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 cup/7 g lightly packed fresh chive lengths (1-in/2.5-cm pieces)
1/4 cup/7 g lightly packed fresh dill fronds
1/4 cup/35 g pine nuts
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup/120 ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup/30 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a food processor, combine the parsley, tarragon, chives, dill, pine nuts, 3/4 tsp salt, and the lemon zest and pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil is blended with the other ingredients. If you want a finer, smoother consistency, continue processing until the pesto looks good to you.
Add the butter and cheese and pulse for another second or two. Taste and add more salt, if you like. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
STORAGE This sauce is best if served within the hour, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface for up to 3 days. Or, freeze in one or more ziplock freezer bags for up to 3 months.
QUICK CHANGE
Replace 1/4 cup/7 g of the parsley leaves with 1/4 cup/7 g fresh chervil leaves.
Use almonds or hazelnuts instead of pine nuts.
Omit the cheese for a leaner, grassier pesto.
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SPICY CILANTRO–MARCONA ALMOND PESTO
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MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP/180 ML
You can find salted, fried Marcona almonds, the flattish almonds from Spain, in many stores these days, but they’re not all great quality. Avoid overtoasted Marconas, which will be fairly dark, almost the color of a brown-paper bag, and oily, and choose nuts that are lightly tanned and just faintly glistening with oil.
The Marconas add enough richness and body to this sauce that I leave out the cheese. The flavor of the almonds comes through better and the sauce tastes fresher and greener—an exciting accent to a bean soup or an omelet.
3 cups/60 g lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 small jalapeño chile, about 1 oz/30 g, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup/35 g salted, fried Marcona almonds or lightly toasted slivered almonds
1 to 2 small cloves garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup/120 ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, chile, almonds, garlic to taste, salt, and lemon zest and pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil is blended with the other ingredients. If you want a finer, smoother consistency, continue processing until the pesto looks good to you.
Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
STORAGE This sauce is best if served within the hour, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface for up to 3 days. Or, freeze in one or more ziplock freezer bags for up to 3 months.
QUICK CHANGE
Use basil instead of cilantro, or use a mix of cilantro and basil.
Omit the chile.
Pulse in 1/2 cup/55 g grated aged Manchego cheese after adding the oil.
Use toasted pine nuts instead of Marcona almonds.
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PARSLEY-MINT PESTO WITH WALNUTS AND FETA
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MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP/240 ML
This pesto has a slightly husky personality from the bold walnuts and assertive fresh mint. I like the way walnuts and feta taste together, but if you’re not sure about the combination, hold back and use the feta as a garnish for the sauce.
Walnuts turn rancid easily, so taste them before using them (preferably taste them right in the store—hooray for bulk bins!). Walnut oil isn’t cheap, but it is so delicious that you’ll find lots of other uses for it (including drizzling it on lentils, on potato and leek soup, on green salads, on steamed green beans). Imported French brands are usually good, and I also like La Tourangelle, a French company that makes a good walnut oil stateside, in California.
This sauce suits sturdy pasta shapes such as penne or orecchiette, but it has great potential for dishes beyond pasta, too. Try it as a dip for pita that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted or grilled; as a finishing sauce for grilled sardines with chunks of ripe tomato and black olives; or stirred into orzo, which is then turned into a bed for grilled lamb chops or kebabs.
2 cups/55 g lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, or 1 cup/30 g each lightly packed parsley and fresh basil leaves if parsley tastes too strong
1 cup/20 g lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup/55 g chopped walnuts
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
1/2 cup/120 ml walnut oil
1/4 tsp hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
1/4 cup/30 g crumbled feta cheese (optional)
In a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest, and 3/4 tsp salt and pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil is blended with the other ingredients. If you want a finer, smoother consistency, continue processing until the pesto looks good to you. Add the hot-pepper sauce and pulse two or three times to mix.
If you want to keep things simple, it’s okay to omit the feta; the pesto is delicious at this stage. If using the feta, add it and pulse for another second or two. You want the cheese to be in little bits, not completely blended. Taste and add more salt, if you like. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
STORAGE This sauce is best if served within the hour, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface for up to 3 days. Or, freeze in one or more ziplock freezer bags for up to 3 months.
QUICK CHANGE
Add a few fresh dill sprigs with the other herbs to give the pesto a Greek or Turkish flavor.
Use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Manchego cheese instead of feta.
Use extra-virgin olive oil instead of walnut oil.
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SAUCE VIERGE
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MAKES ABOUT 1/3 CUPS/315 ML
This herb-based sauce, which you’ll see in many permutations, is looser and more tangy and briny than a pesto and doesn’t call for cheese. In France, you’ll see it called both sauce vierge and sauce verte: vierge (virgin) because there’s no heat applied to it … hmmm … and verte (green) because it is green, bien sûr.
Other cuisines have a similar sauce, so this version is just my mash-up that incorporates a bit of everything. The idea is to go for zing. If you enjoy using a knife (and I hope you do—it’s meditative!), you’ll love this sauce because you chop everything by hand for the best texture.
1/3 cup/14 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup/14 g finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup/30 g finely chopped pitted buttery green olives such as Cerignola or Castelvetrano
2 tbsp finely chopped cornichon
1 tbsp minced shallot or onion
1 tbsp drained capers, coarsely chopped
2 tsp minced fresh hot chile such as jalapeño
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
6 olive oil–packed anchovy fillets, drained and minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup/180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
1 tbsp fresh lime juice, or more if needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, toss together the parsley, basil, olives, cornichon, shallot, capers, chile, lemon zest, anchovies, and garlic. Stir in the olive oil, and then stir in the lemon and lime juices.
Taste and add enough salt to make the sauce highly savory (the amount added will depend on the saltiness of your other ingredients) and season with several grinds of pepper. Let the sauce rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop, then taste and adjust the seasoning again with salt, pepper, and the citrus juices if needed. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
STORAGE This sauce is best if served within the hour, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This sauce doesn’t freeze well.
QUICK CHANGE
Fold in 1/2 cup/85 g peeled, seeded, and finely diced tomato.
Add some fresh mint and/or tarragon with the other herbs.
Add some finely chopped hard-cooked egg just before serving.
Swap out the fresh chile for a pickled peperoncino.
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FRAGRANT CHARMOULA
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MAKES 1 CUP/240 ML
This aromatic fresh herb sauce has roots in North African cooking, but I’ve added some sweetness and smoke with a little honey and smoked paprika—nontraditional but delicious additions. I have also used Aleppo chile, which adds moderate heat and a pleasant fruitiness.
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika or Hungarian sweet paprika
11/2 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground Aleppo chile (see ingredient note), or a few dashes of hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
2 cups/55 g lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 cups/40 g lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup/75 ml fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp honey
In a food processor, combine the garlic to taste, paprika, cumin, 1 tsp salt, and Aleppo chile and pulse to mince the seasonings. Add the parsley and cilantro and pulse until roughly chopped. Do not purée the ingredients. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey and pulse to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Let the sauce sit for about 15 minutes so the flavors can marry.
INGREDIENT NOTE: The Aleppo chile is a fruity, fragrant, moderately hot pepper that originated in Syria and is now grown in Syria and Turkey. It is dried and sold coarsely ground. I like this chile because its heat level doesn’t overpower its other flavors.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This sauce doesn’t freeze well.
QUICK CHANGE
Include a few fresh mint leaves in the mix.
Add 1 tsp sherry vinegar along with the lemon juice.
Use fresh orange juice and zest instead of lemon.
Add 2 tsp minced preserved lemon after adding the oil.
CHIMICHURRI, IN SPIRIT
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MAKES 1 CUP/240 ML
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Traditional salsa chimichurri comes from Argentina. The base is parsley, and oregano or mint is added to amp up the herbal flavors. Instead of using nuts or cheese for richness, as with a pesto, chimichurri usually has some husky-hot spice notes from cumin, hot-pepper sauce, or red pepper flakes, and a ton of tanginess from red wine vinegar. It’s a fairly assertive sauce, so I like serving it with meat or grilled chicken. It’s a classic partner for grilled steak, but it’s delightful on a grilled hamburger, too.
1 cup/30 g lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup/20 g lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1-in/2.5-cm chunk of shallot (3/4 oz/20 g)
1/4 cup/60 ml sherry vinegar, or more if needed
2 small cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant, or 1/4 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt
1/2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, shallot, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, and 1 tsp salt and pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Stop processing as soon as all of the oil is blended with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust with salt, if needed, and with vinegar to bring the sauce up to the edge of pungency. If time permits, let the flavors marry for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.
STORAGE Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The sauce does not freeze well.
QUICK CHANGE
Omit the cilantro and use all parsley leaves.
Add 1 small jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded, with the herbs.
Stir in finely diced red bell pepper at the end.
CRESPELLE with PESTO, RICOTTA, and ARUGULA SALAD
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SERVES 8 AS A FIRST COURSE OR 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
A tender crepe spread with fragrant pesto and milky ricotta, topped with a tangle of spicy arugula salad, and rolled up is a beautiful way to start off a summer dinner party. And if you serve each guest two crepes (called crespelle in Italian), you have a light main course. Any fresh salad green will do as long as it’s supple enough to be rolled up inside the crepe.
You can make the crepes up to 4 hours ahead, stack them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and keep at room temperature. Or, you can make the crepes a day ahead, stack and wrap them on the plate, and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the crepes in a 350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven for 10 minutes or for a few seconds in the microwave on medium power before filling.
CREPES
3/4 cup/180 ml whole milk, plus more if needed
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup/90 g all-purpose flour
21/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 bunch arugula (about 5 oz/140 g), thick stems trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice for dressing salad
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup/240 ml pesto of choice
1/2 cup/115 g fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
TO MAKE THE CREPES, in a blender, combine the milk, eggs, and salt and whiz for a few seconds to blend everything together. Add the flour and whiz until very smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour in the butter and whiz until combined, about 10 seconds more.
Transfer the batter to a large glass measuring cup or a bowl with a spout (or a bowl into which you can easily dip a 1/4 -cup/60-ml measuring cup or ladle). Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to make the crepes, test its consistency: the batter should be as thick as heavy cream, not as thick as pancake batter. If it is too thick, whisk in more milk.
Heat a crepe pan, nonstick frying pan, or well-seasoned frying pan with an 8-in/20-cm base over medium-high heat until a drop of water flicked onto the surface sizzles on contact. Using a folded paper towel, spread about 1/2 tsp butter around the interior of the pan. The butter should sizzle on contact, but you don’t want the pan so hot that the butter burns.
Pour about 1/4 cup/60 ml of the batter into the center of the pan. As you pour, lift the pan from the heat and tilt and turn it in all directions so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan in a thin circle. If the crepe has any holes in it, quickly add a few drops of batter to fill them in. Or, if you have too much batter and the crepe looks too thick, immediately pour the excess back into the measuring cup or bowl. You can always trim off the “tail” that’s left behind.
Cook the crepe until the edges begin to dry and lift from the edge of the pan and the bottom is nicely browned, about 1 minute. To check for color, use a table knife, thin offset spatula, or your fingers to lift up an edge of the crepe and look underneath. When the first side is ready, use the knife, spatula, or your fingers to lift the crepe and quickly flip it over. Smooth out any folded edges or pleats, then cook until the center is firm and the second side is browned, about 20 seconds more.
Slide the crepe from the pan onto a large plate or cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat and spreading the pan with more butter as you cook. As each crepe is finished, stack it on top of the previous one. You should end up with 8 crepes. The crepes will soften as they cool.
In a large bowl, toss the arugula with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, dressing the greens lightly.
Spread a generous layer of pesto onto the center of each crepe, top with a few small dollops of the ricotta, and then with a little of the arugula. Roll up loosely and place seam-side down on a plate. Or, roll the crepe with the pesto and ricotta and dress with a handful of the salad on top. When all of the crepes are assembled, serve right away.
BEAN SOUP with SPICY CILANTRO–MARCONA ALMOND PESTO
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SERVES 4 TO 6
This is my all-purpose bean soup recipe. It’s wonderfully versatile and loves to be adapted to whatever you have on hand. I like the sweet earthiness of pinto beans paired with the bright-flavored cilantro pesto, but white or black beans would be nice, too, or try one of the many interesting heirloom varieties.
The cooking time for beans can range dramatically depending on age and variety, so give yourself plenty of time and cook them just until you’re happy with their tenderness. And don’t worry that I call for salt to be added early in the cooking process. I know that many cooks believe that salt prevents the beans from softening, but in fact, it’s acidic ingredients, not salt, that have that effect, which is why the tomatoes go into the pot near the end of cooking.
1 lb/455 g dried pinto beans, picked over for debris
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 -in/6-mm dice
2 leeks (white and tender green parts only), chopped
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 -in/6-mm dice
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4 -in/6-mm dice
2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups/960 ml homemade turkey broth, chicken broth, or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt
1 cup/240 ml water
One 14-oz/400-g can crushed tomatoes
Hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha
1/2 to 3/4 cup/120 to 180 ml Spicy Cilantro–Marcona Almond Pesto
In a large pot, combine the beans with water to cover by at least 2 in/5 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for at least 1 hour. When it’s time to cook the soup, drain and rinse the beans.
In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, leeks, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not allow them to brown.
Add the drained beans, garlic, broth, bay leaves, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are very tender, 2 to 3 hours, depending on the age of the beans. Add more water as needed to keep them nicely covered.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, then add the tomatoes and continue to simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes longer to blend the flavors.
Transfer about half of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. (If you have an immersion blender, you can half-purée the soup in the pot.) Return the purée to the pot and add water as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking. Season with the hot-pepper sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Heat until piping hot.
Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls. Top each bowl with about 2 tbsp of the pesto, and then run the tip of a paring knife through the pesto to swirl it a bit. Serve right away.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER with SAUCE VIERGE
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SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE DISH
Talk about a transformation. Starting point: pale, crumbly, bland raw cauliflower (my apologies to any grocery-store salad bar designers). Process: toss with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. End result: golden, moist-chewy, sweet cauliflower that you never dreamed was possible. Roasting is the best method for this vegetable, and drizzling with a sprightly green sauce just makes thing better.
2 heads cauliflower (11/4 lb/570 g each), cored and cut into 11/2-in/4-cm florets
1/3 cup/75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or lemon thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 to 1/2 cup/75 to 120 ml Sauce Vierge
Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.
Don’t worry if when you cut the cauliflower into florets, you end up with a few smaller ones. They will create delicious crispy bits. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower on one or two large rimmed baking sheets.
Roast until the florets are tender, collapsed, and golden brown on their cut faces and around the edges, at least 20 minutes and possibly longer. The darker the cauliflower the better it will taste (short of burnt, of course).
Pile the cauliflower into a warmed serving bowl and drizzle generously with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.
COUSCOUS with BRAISED VEGETABLES in CHARMOULA
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SERVES 4 TO 6
On a night when you discover you don’t have much in the fridge other than odds and ends, this recipe will make you happy. I like making it with the mix of vegetables given here, but you can use just about anything you have on hand. I always keep couscous and canned chickpeas in the pantry, and the charmoula sauce is also mostly pantry ingredients, plus, of course, the fresh herbs. If you want to add some protein, grilled tofu, sausages, or skewers of chicken-thigh chunks would be lovely.
4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz/225 g Yukon Gold or red waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into strips 1/2 in/12 mm wide
1 Anaheim or other large, mild green chile, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
8 oz/225 g cauliflower florets (about 1/2 small cauliflower)
2 small tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
One 14-oz/400-g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
11/2 cups/360 ml water
3/4 cup/180 ml Fragrant Charmoula
1 cup/170 g couscous
Plain yogurt for serving
In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and sweet potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, undisturbed, until well browned on the first side, about 2 minutes (they’ll stick if you try to turn them too soon). Flip the potatoes to another side and cook again, undisturbed. Continue to flip and cook undisturbed until nicely browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl.
Add 2 tbsp of the oil to the pan and return to medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and chile. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
Return the potatoes and sweet potato to the pan, add the cauliflower, tomatoes, and chickpeas, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Stir to combine the vegetables and then add 1/2 cup/120 ml of the water. Cover, adjust the heat to maintain a nice simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. If a lot of liquid remains in the pan once the vegetables are tender, uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and let the liquid boil off for a minute, taking care not to burn the vegetables.
Turn off the heat and gently fold in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm while you make the couscous.
In a saucepan, bring the remaining 1 cup/240 ml water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous and 1/2 tsp salt, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let sit undisturbed until the couscous has absorbed the water and is tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork, drizzle it with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and fluff again.
Pile a mound of couscous in the center of each dinner plate (or wide, shallow bowl), ladle the vegetables on top, and serve with a dollop of yogurt.
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TOMATO SAUCES
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TOMATOES MIGHT POSSIBLY BE THE MOST PERFECT INGREDIENT —beautiful and shapely, with a flavor that’s both bright and deep, savory and sweet, clean and rich, subtle and sassy. And most important (especially for this book), tomatoes make brilliant sauces.
You can emphasize different aspects of a tomato’s character with different cooking methods, so that’s how I have structured the recipes in this chapter. Three kinds of tomato sauces are here: fresh, canned, and roasted.
For fresh tomato sauce, I cook the tomatoes quickly over high heat, without a lot of other ingredients, to keep their vivacious flavor intact. This method depends on good tomatoes with lots of flavor and acid, so I use cherry tomatoes, which I feel are reliably tasty and bright.
Canned tomatoes are not an inferior second choice to fresh tomatoes. On the contrary, canned tomatoes have lots of virtues, an obvious one being that they are always available. And they’re already peeled! Most of the tomato sauces in this chapter are made with canned tomatoes.
Roasting tomatoes concentrates their flavors and caramelizes their flesh. That translates to sauces with a deep flavor and lush texture and a big hit of umami. When tomatoes are roasted, they cook down a lot, which means that you need a lot of tomatoes to produce a small amount of sauce, so I only roast tomatoes for sauces at the height of tomato season when there are plenty to be had at a good price or in my garden.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS SAUCE?
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It’s important to know that the amount of sugar, acid, moisture, and other flavor compounds is different in every tomato, and that will make a difference in every tomato sauce you make. You’ll find dramatic variation among fresh tomato varieties, seasons, and sources. Even canned Italian tomatoes that carry the San Marzano DOP label, indicating they’re grown within a designated region in southern Italy, can be quite different from can to can. Sometimes they’re fat, red, and meaty, and other times they’re stringy, pale, and have a hard, white stem end. Although finding a canned brand you like and trust can mitigate the mood swings, it’s most important to lea